Cycling the Camino 5

Sadly my last blog!! Back to Olveiroa. The weather God's were not happy with us getting there. We were both soaked to the bone. Never had a hot shower been so welcome. All the walkers looked like mobile gnomes in their ponchos....

Never pays to look back, but Helen did.......it was almost like Santiago's skyline was beckoning her to return...

Wednesday was a mammoth day for Helen. She walked for 9 hours (36km) in difficult conditions. I expected to see her at the end bedraggled and aching, but her grit and determination won the day. I had time to explore little Olveiroa while waiting for her. The traditional architecture has been well preserved, and the people could not speak English at all. We got by with my shocking array of Spanish nouns!! The food at our 'pension rustico' was traditional fare,.....certainly wouldn't pay to be a vegetarian!

The weather forecast for yesterday [Thursday] was shocking, so we were dreading another soaking. But amazingly, overnight the sky cleared and we had blue skies again. This time on the trail to Cee. Most of it was cycle-friendly, but the steep inclines gave my leg muscles a nudge, and the large gravel and deep ruts pushed my bike sideways. At one stage the track gave a choice of gravel or cobblestone! It didn't matter......both were uncomfortable, but there were beautiful spots along the way though....

And the towns held their usual fascination....

And so, on to Cee, and a refreshing breath of the Atlantic Ocean, although it is referred to as Death Coast because it is splattered with shipwrecks. Cee is a struggling little seaside town, dependent on fishing and tourism. Medieval architecture has left its footprint, but many buildings are left empty and derelict.

We wandered around the waterfront to Corcubion, with it's own unique old quarters. It's iconic Gothic church is called Church of St Marcos, devoted to the town's patron Saint.

Today we hit the trail for our final leg to Finisterre literally meaning 'the end of the earth'. Silly me...I was expecting an easy ride, but my first encounter was a series of steep stone steps. I was committed about half way up and had to walk my bike up the rest of the way. 

This photo doesn't look impressive so I know I won't get any sympathy!! At least Finisterre was the reward. This is another fishing town, and alive with albergues, boutique shops and seafood restaurants. 

But the trail doesn't stop there,.......another 3-4km further on is the lighthouse, the official endpoint. The modern pilgrims used to burn their smelly socks here, but that ritual is not allowed anymore. 

It is also a magnificent spot to watch the sun set, but not tonight. Walking around Finisterre is a lot of tired bodies and sore feet. In my case other bits are sore and tomorrow I will gladly trade my bike seat in for an aeroplane seat. 

What a fantastic experience. Got the shirt! Nothing else for it now but to sign up for Tour de France!!

Buen Camino!

Cycling the Camino 4

We had a much welcomed lay-day on Monday in Santiago, but walked our socks off exploring the old town. 

Helen qualified for her Camino certificate, but cyclists have to do double the distance so I dipped out! Can only provide proof that I made it to the ultimate destination!!

It was a hot day for wandering, but we enjoyed meandering around the shops and historic buildings watching life as it spilled out on the streets, among buskers, beggars and tired walkers. Everyone watches the modern pilgrims arrive,.... some celebrate, but others just do this....

We made it back to the cathedral. This grand old lady was built in 1075 and apparently took 36 years to construct. We just missed out on the swinging of the botafumeira, but the heady smell of the smoking incense remained. Apparently the incense cleans the air and symbolizes purity! 

The story goes that when the original pilgrims arrived they were a brigade of the 'great unwashed' so the incense masked their odour! This botafumeiro is suspended by a serious pulley mechanism that requires eight men to do the rope work. It becomes a giant pendulum  which swings about 70 kph across the naves of the church so one lives in hope the ropes are secure.

At lunchtime we were keen to try the region's signature dish Pulpo a la Feira (octopus cooked with paprika). It was delicious!!

Nothing like a busy day to prepare us for a good night's sleep so we could begin another Camino trail, this time to Finisterre. This is a 'track less travelled' and following the beginning from Santiago was difficult. The yellow arrows painted on the pavement were well faded. Getting back on the bike was a new learning curve. How do I ride this thing??

The beginning of the Finisterre trail was very challenging......definitely a NZ grade 3+ in parts........white knuckle stuff in places. I just had to point the bike forward and hope I stayed upright. At one stage, before entering Negreira, there was a hill so steep I was struggling,  even with turbo assist. But generally I loved the serenity and solitude of the Galician bush.

I came across this property for sale. A real bargain. Fancy a 'retirement do-up job' Dougy??!!!

Perhaps turn it in to something like this....

Yesterday was our hottest day so far. 30 degrees made us melt on the trail. Our stopover was Negreira. Later in the afternoon a storm brewed and blew the hotel umbrellas around the carpark; all the pot plants took a tumble; and the lounge cushions took off down the road. Exciting!

What a difference a day makes. Today the temperature has dropped and it we have been in constant drizzle. The most impressive sight was the fortified gateway on the exit from Negreira.

The countryside on the way to Olveiroa was dominated by beef farming. In many places we shared the trail where the cattle had been. At this stage I need to explain my bike doesn't have mud guards..........

L-o-v-e-l-y!! The rain made it impossible to take photos. The best I could do was capture a brief glimpse of the wind farm.....

Now I am at our pension, cold and wet, waiting for cold and wet Helen to arrive. Our room isn't ready so I am sitting in the bar having an empanada. The old fella next to me has an even better idea. He has a large wine glass full of Galliano!!!

Ciao 

Cycling the Camino 3

Had to laugh......I overheard a conversation today on the Camino trail when someone asked "Are you another torture tourist?" This was to a person with taped feet, two sticks and a definite hobble. Must have been near the end of her 1000km pilgrimage!! 

Yesterday's walk was very scenic from Arzua to Amenal. It is difficult for Helen and I to meet up along the way, but somehow we managed to be at the same cafe for coffee.

Someone else had an even better idea for a short break .....

I could easily fill this blog with endless pics of old churches, stone houses and uncomfortable cobblestone pathways (a sports bra is essential, even for me!!). There was a uniqueness of every town we passed through, but I loved watching the locals interact as they went about their daily lives in spite of us.

Everywhere the trail was well signposted, but yesterday I managed to do a not-so-planned diversion around a small town into some delightful farmland. It was reassuring to see this signpost....

How did I ever miss this....

Actually it was wonderful having the country roads to myself. On the trail some walkers with two sticks seem to splay them out, - like passing someone wielding two javelins.  My bell certainly doesn't alert others who are plugged into their music or podcast. And as for those who walk six abreast out-talking each other!!! Yesterday I nearly canned off when another bike overtook me on the same narrow passage I was aiming for. Geez!! Too close for comfort. Give me this lonely path any day....

In perfectly preserved Galician villages these structures are everywhere. Apparently they are called 'horreo',  and possibly have more relevance than just a food storage unit to avoid rat infestation. Some have religious symbols on the roof ridge.

Once at our accommodation at Amenal, after such a beautiful day, the heavens opened up and blasted us with a violent thunderstorm.  This has been forecast every day, but never happened. The next door guesthouse was flooded and some of the Camino walkers had all their belonging totally soaked.

As expected the trail was very squishy this morning. My tyres clogged up in no time. As it is Sunday most villages were extremely quiet. Only the church bells were ringing.

Finally the Camino trail took us through the residential outskirts of Santiago until we reached the historic centre.

I was happy to drop off my bike at the hotel and go exploring. Unfortunately this shop is uncomfortably close.....

Just had to have some Tarta de Santiago, an almond pie literally named 'Cake of St James', traditionally baked as a reward for pilgrims completing their journey. All that exercise deserved some healthy indulgence!!

And so to the famous cathedral, the jewel in the crown of Santiago. Finding it was a mission, mainly because the old quarter has tall buildings and narrow streets making it difficult to locate any landmarks. It was quite an emotional scene at the end of the trail,......a mixture of cheers and tears of achievement. I saw a few guys standing in front of the cathedral holding their bikes over their heads?? Like to see them try and do that with my electric beast! 

The cathedral is spectacular inside. Oops,  were we allowed to take photos?

Tomorrow we explore the city. Right now it is a luxury to have clean hair and rested feet. 

Will touch base again soon. 

Cycling the Camino 2

When embarking on the Camino adventure it is pretty easy to slip into the casual, unhurried way of Spanish life. Having said that, our stopover towns are totally dependent on Camino hikers, who are tired and hungry at 5.00pm, but restaurants aren't open until eight!!! That makes one helluva long cocktail hour?? Oh well......'when in Spain'.

One of the highlights of being on the trail is the interaction with different cultures. A Dutch guy we had drinks with in Portomarin biked down from Holland before biking the entire Camino Way from France,.......without electrics! Crazy!!!

We left Portomarin in fog, but it cleared later in the morning. Some pretty countryside though but the cobblestones don't allow comfortable riding.

This is to prove I didn't take a taxi from one town to another...

And this is to prove how pesky I might have been to a few walkers.....

Some of the villages we passed through almost felt like we were invading their living rooms. The chooks are free range; dogs breed liberally; and occasionally a herd of cattle might share the same road. It is very quiet during siesta.....which appears to be most of the afternoon for some! Just love their vegetable gardens. Broccoli and kale stand like trees.

Their departed ones stay close to the community....

At the end of the day our destination was Palas de Rei, but our accommodation was about 10km out of town......extra peddling for me, but Helen had the luxury of a complimentary taxi!! This area is renowned for Queimada, nicknamed the 'fire drink' which is flamed alcohol (similar to Grappa) with lemon slices and coffee beans. Sadly we didn't get to try it!! Our accommodation was a 300-year old house A Parada Das Bestas in a rural setting surrounded by beautiful gardens. The owners were great hosts and renowned for their exceptional food.

Today we headed for Azura. This was the most challenging part of the trail so far. Roughest terrain ever with large rocky outcrops, washouts and slippery stones. Instant decisions had to be made, like here: "Do I risk my neck on the bridge, or take a nose dive in the ford?"........

When the track was crowded it was even more hazardous, but had rewarding little spots along the way, including this little kiosk selling strawberries, raspberries, cherries, cheese and sweets...

Then more obstacles, but generally the trail was pretty .......

Amazingly the trail just about separates the tables in the cafes as it meanders by old churches and living quarters.........

At last in Azura. Maybe tonight we will get to taste the local poblo a feira (octopus!). Another beautiful mural and a pretty town. I saw a queue outside a shoe repair shop, ...... Camino walkers getting their boots fixed!!

I will touch base again when we get to Santiago.